"Instructor Lin, what are your plans now?" Kong Lin didn't seem concerned about Lin Mu's tone, nor did he bother to ask about what had just happened. It seemed that for him, Lin Mu subjugating the Divine Machine Camp was never an issue to begin with.

"What do you mean 'what are my plans'?" Lin Mu leaned back in his chair, which was hardly the attitude a subordinate should show a superior. His words made Jiaolong and the others twitch at the corners of their mouths. "Aren't you just trying to get first place? I'll get it for you, and that'll be the end of it, right?"

Wow! What a big talker! 'I'll get it for you?' Do you think the military-wide competition's championship is like some cabbage you can just pick up? Something you can take whenever you want? You're looking down on the other six military regions, aren't you?

But Lin Mu was, after all, the instructor of the Divine Machine Camp. Since their instructor had spoken, it was best for them, his subordinates, to keep their mouths shut.

"Haha, good!" To everyone's shock, Kong Lin actually burst out laughing. "With your promise, I can rest easy."

"But let me warn you, words are binding in the military. Since you've promised, if you fail to secure first place, I'll hold you personally responsible!"

Kong Lin's objective was simple. How many years had it been since the Southeast Military Region won the championship? Three years? Five? He couldn't even remember anymore. The members of the Divine Machine Camp had been replaced several times over, but he, the Military Region Commander, was still here. It had been a very long time.

Lin Mu waved a hand impatiently. "All right, all right. Is there anything else? If not, you can go. I need to start training my men."

"Oh? Quite a temper you've got there." Kong Lin laughed. "As the Commander of the entire Military Region, am I not even allowed to watch you train?"

Lin Mu rolled his eyes. "Do you still want the championship or not?"

"Alright, I'm leaving, okay?" Kong Lin was somewhat speechless. You brat. If you don't win the championship, just you watch how I'll deal with you. The competition was less than three months away.

"Oh, one more thing," Kong Lin said. "Did you see that young woman earlier?"

"Commander," Lin Mu said wearily, "can't you just say everything at once? Also, let me be clear, I already have a wife. If you're thinking of playing matchmaker, you can forget it right now."

Kong Lin was so angry his nose was practically crooked. "I... What on earth are you thinking? Me? Play matchmaker for you? In your dreams!"

The men of the Divine Machine Camp didn't dare listen to this exchange and had already scattered far away.

"My granddaughter is a bit of a handful," Kong Lin said. "So I was planning to have her come to the Divine Machine Camp to train for a while."

"Absolutely not," Lin Mu refused instantly. "I have enough people here as it is. I won't agree to you stuffing more people in here."

"If you insist, then I'm done. I won't be the instructor anymore."

Hearing Lin Mu's words, Monkey and the others hiding in the distance felt a chill run down their spines.

"Is he threatening the Commander?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"What if Instructor Lin really leaves? Is he abandoning us?"

"Shut it, Mad Dog! A dog's mouth will never produce ivory!"

Meanwhile, Kong Lin was a little embarrassed. "No room for discussion?"

"No room for discussion."

"Fine!" Kong Lin chuckled. "That's not up to you. That girl is even more stubborn than I am. The more you refuse to let her in, the more determined she'll be to get in."

"I'm off." Without waiting for Lin Mu to reply, Kong Lin turned and left, a satisfied look on his face.

"What's with the Commander today? Instructor Lin threatened and intimidated him, but he didn't even get angry?"

"How could a pig-brain like you understand what the Commander is thinking?"

"Oh yeah? You understand, then?"

"If I understood, I'd be the Commander by now!"

"Damn, then why are you acting so high and mighty?"

***

On the way back, Zhang Ze still felt uneasy. "Commander, can Instructor Lin really do it?"

Professor Feng was dead, which meant there would be no more Gene Potions. How was the Divine Machine Camp's overall training plan supposed to proceed? That Gene Potion could enhance all kinds of human functions; it was incredibly precious and definitely not something that could be developed easily. The Gene Potion each Divine Machine Camp member consumed wasn't just a matter of money. It represented an immense investment of manpower, material and financial resources, and even time. And right now, time was what they lacked the most.

The Divine Machine Camp was already at the bottom of the barrel among the major military regions. Now that Professor Feng was out of the picture, the Gene Potion definitely couldn't be synthesized or produced anymore. Wouldn't that completely derail the training schedule?

"What? You don't believe in Instructor Lin?" Kong Lin said.

"It's not a matter of belief, it's just..."

Zhang Ze was cut off. "Don't worry," Kong Lin said. "If he can't do it, then no one in this world can."

"Huh?" Zhang Ze's heart jolted. Why does the Commander have such immense confidence in Lin Mu? It seemed almost... blind.

Kong Lin closed his eyes, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "Because... he is Lin Wudi."

***

「Divine Machine Camp Training Base」

"Instructor, let's begin!" All the members of the Divine Machine Camp were lined up in neat rows before Lin Mu, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation.

"Begin what?" Lin Mu asked, looking puzzled.

Monkey spoke up. "Didn't you say you were going to start our training? We're ready!"

"Teacher Lin, you can count on us! So people don't think you're just a braggart, we'll train with everything we've got! We can endure any amount of suffering!"

As usual, Monkey couldn't resist running his mouth. "Teacher Lin can abuse me a thousand times, and I'll still treat Teacher Lin like my first love!"

"Get lost!"

Lin Mu lashed out with a kick, sending the smart-mouthed bastard flying. Seeing Monkey stuck headfirst in the river sand, everyone's shoulders shook as they struggled to hold back their laughter.

Lin Mu stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the rows of faces before him. "I know you have many doubts and many questions for me. You want to know how we can possibly take first place in the competition in less than three months."

Their dark, weathered faces showed a mixture of boundless doubt, expectation, and even resentment. They were indeed doubtful, wondering what secret weapon Instructor Lin possessed that could make them champions. They were also hopeful that Instructor Lin would bring them a surprise and create a miracle. The resentment came from the fact that they hadn't won the championship in years. In fact, they were always at the bottom of every major competition.

Lin Mu said, "The truth is, I don't have one."

The members of the Divine Machine Camp nearly collapsed in unison.

"Because my training regimen will be harsh, even cruel," Lin Mu said, his tone serious. "A single mistake could even cost you your life."

"Now, tell me, do you still want me to train you?"

"If you don't, you can speak up now. If the majority of you feel I can't lead you to the championship, I'll leave immediately."

"I also promise I'll find you another qualified instructor. But as for whether you'll win the championship then, I can't make any guarantees."

The entire Divine Machine Camp was silent.

Harsh? Cruel? We might even lose our lives? It was a terrifying prospect. But... they were soldiers!

"We are not afraid!"

"Teacher Lin, we're not afraid of hardship or exhaustion, and we're not afraid of death! But I can't stand being cooped up and stifled in the Divine Machine Camp anymore!"

"Me too! I, Ma Biao, was the best soldier in my old unit! I won so many competition titles I got tired of collecting them. But since joining the Divine Machine Camp, I haven't even sniffed a championship!"

"Teacher Lin, bring it on! No matter how cruel the training, I'll take it!"

Jiaolong added fiercely, "I just don't want to live so disgracefully for the rest of my life!"

"That's right!"

The faces of the others burned with an even more intense indignation and anger. What they didn't realize was that they now possessed a quality they'd been missing before. A warrior's spirit! If a soldier lacks that spirit, can they even be called a soldier?

And so, Lin Mu was very pleased.

"Since you're all in, I'll announce the training plan."

As everyone watched with eager anticipation, Lin Mu's chest swelled. He took a deep breath and boomed, "All units, listen up! Objective: Dormitories! Mission: Sleep!"

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